Electric sad-iron.



D C. HUGHES.

ELECTRIC SAD IRON.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-15. 19:1.

Patented Oct. 16, [917.

2 SHEET$-SHEET L a fi D. C. HUGHES.

ELECTRIC SAD IRON.

APPLICATION mu) JAN. 15. l9ll.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2 w i a &

rill/W [ii We 22 602*: ,Daszr 61/5 446 {6 I UNITED s ArEs PATENT OFFICE.

DAVYDD c. HUGH-Es, or cHIcrreo; ILLINOIS, esslsnon T0 a). c HUGH-ESIECOMPANY; OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS, A conrcima'r-rorro1? LLINois.

EL'Ee'rRIc SAD-IRON.

T 0 alzf whpm it may concern I 4 Be it known that I, 'DAV YDD C. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, and resident bf Chicago, county of :Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful'Improven'ients 'in Electric Sad-Irons, of which the following is a spQificrition, and which are illustrated:i n the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof;

The invention relates to sad I irons pro vided with. electric heating elementsfits objects being to generallyimprove, the iron and the electric elementsthereof The invention consists in the arrangement of the heating elements along the side Walls of the base; to means-for clamping the elements against these Walls; to the structural formation, of the heating-elements, .and to improved means for electrically connecting these elements together and to the terminals of the iron; and to the mounting of the terminals upon the baseof the iron.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying dra\vings,-in hichv Figural is a plan VleW' of the iron with its cover plate andf handleremoved';

Fig. 2 is a 'sectionalyieiv on the line of Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, shown in perspective;

Fig. L is a detail section on the line 4-4 ofFig.1;, y t Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal central section (if the iron, partly-in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 66 of Fig.5;and t Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the wedge-block for forcing, .,the elements against the \vallsof the iron.-

The iron comprises ahambered base 10 anda cap or cover platell, adapted to fit upon the base and to 'be secured thereto by any suitable means, such as the screws 12. The handle 13 is of ordinary construction, and may be secured to the cap 11 by means of the screws 12, as-shoWn.

The iron is of the usual pointed form. Its side Walls 1 1 are' thin and their inner-surfaces substantially vertical. A lining- 15, of insulating material, is applied to these surfaces, and the heating elements, generally designated by the numerals 16, 17, rest and are-compressed against this lining.

A pair of clamping blocks 18, 19, areapplied to the inner faces of the heating eler. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917."

ments, the outer faces of such blocks con forming to the inner surfaces of thesi'de walls 14 of the base, their inneffaces' preferably being straight andthere being upon such face of each a vertical rib 20, 21, in; clined inwardly from top'to bottom." A wedge-block '22, channeled, as shown at23 21-, to receive the'ribs 20, 21, forces the clamping blocks outwardly as it is drawn down, by means of a screw-bolt 25"threade'd into a socket 'in'a boss ZG fo'rmed on the bottom of the b ase'lO. By reason of the curved form of the side \rallsof the 'base and of the outer faces ofthe clamping blocks, the clampingpressure is applied to the heating elements uniformly from end to end.

Each of the elements 16, 17, comprises a core 27 of insulating material, such as mica, and a sheet 28 of soft material, such as asbestos, of slightly greater width than the core and. o\'e1-lappingeach of its edges, and

a coil 29 of resistance 'yvire helically wound about the corefand theasbestos sheet, its several turns being spaced apart. In applyingthe Wire it'is dr awn as tightly as the fragile character of the coil Will permit, and embeds itself in 'the' asbestos, bending the margins thereof over the edgesof the core, as shown inFig. 3, thereby protecting'the core from injury during'the operation of manufacture and also anchoringthe several turns of the wire and insuring their perma-' nent' spacing. After the partshave been thus assembled the entire element is placed in a press to flatten down the wire intermediate of the edges of the core, this opera; tion tending to embed the wire in the asbestos matrix throughout'is entire Width. The overlapping margins of the matrix prevent the Wire from taking'the form of abrupt angles at the edges of the element, thereby removing the danger of arcing and the consequent burning out of the Wheat this point. p

The coils of the two heating elements are electrically connected atthe tip of the iron by means of a metallic plate 30 overlapping the two elements and being applied to either their outer or inner faces, the wedging pres sure upon the elements insuring aperfe'ct connection. A lining 31 of'insulating material. such as asbestos, is interposed between the two heating elements and the clamping blocks 18, 19.

The coils of the heating elements are con nected at, their rearward ends with a pair of binding posts 32, 33, by means of a strip of fusible material 34, 35, which will be melted by an abnormally heavy current and thus protect the heating elements from injury.

The binding posts 32, 33, are fixed to the base, preferably through'th'e medium of a bracket 36 mounted thereon and projecting upwardly through an aperture 37 in the cap 11. A plug socket 38 incloses these posts, being attached to the coverll as shown at 39, a foot-piece 40 rojecting backwardly from the lower end 0 this socket member to form a rest forthe iron when tilted up and out of use. A suitable plug 41, to which the leading in wires 42 are attached, enters the socket 38. v I

For'the purpose of insulating the fusible connections'EA, 35, fromtheeiments 1.8, 19, a plate ofmica or similar material, as shown at 43, ii, is used and'maybe secured in place by being folded down between the clamping block of the heating elements.

As thus constructed the iron and its various parts are simple of manufacture and easy of assembling, and the various parts are conveniently removed for purposes of repair. The heating elements are l'irmly clamped against the side walls of the base and uniformly throughout their entire area, thereby insuring the heating of the metal. The disposition of the heating elements along the side walls of the base and extending to its apex results .in the application of the heat to the margins of the iron and its tip, where it is most needed, the central portion of the bottom of the iron beingsufficiently hot by conduction; The asbestos lining between the heating elements and the clamping blocks may be of sufficient thicknessto prevent excessive heating of these blocks and thus conserve the heat for use in the portions of the iron where it is most required. The open space between 'the clamping blocks alsotends to keep the cap and handle c001.

Theouter surface of the cap 11 may be given any desired finish. Preferably this surface is enameled, as indicated at 45, thereby not only giving it a handsome finish but preventing its corrosion.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, various changes in detail of construction may be made without departing from its scope.

While the heating element herein shown and described is primarily intended for use in connection with sad irons, it may obviously be employed in connection with other devices, such as percolators, toasters, etc., and still embody the features of the invention.

I claim as 'my invention 1. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base having side walls, heating elements bearing against the side walls, clamping blocks for holding the heating elements against such walls, and wedge means for advancing the blocks.

2. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base having side walls, heating elements bearing against the side walls, clamping blocks for holding the heating elements against such walls, and spreading means reacting between the blocks for advancing them. i

3. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base having curved side walls, heating elements bearin against such walls, a pair of'clamping bloc s having faces conforming to the curvature of the side Walls for forcing the'elements thereaga'inst, and spreading means reacting between the blocks.

4. In an electric sad iron,-in combination, a chambered base having curved side walls, heating elements bearing against such walls, a pair of clamping blocks having faces conforming to the curvature of the side walls for forcing the elements thereagainst, and a wedge entering'between the blocks.

5. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base having curved side walls, heating elements bearingagainst such walls, a pair of clamping blocks having faces conforming to the curvature of the sidewalls for forcing the elements thereagainst, a wedge'entering between the blocks, and a screw engaging the base for advancing the wedge.

6. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base having side walls, heating elements bearing against the side Walls, and

a connector overlapping the ends of tho heating elements.

7. In an electric sad iron,'in combination, a chamberedbody having side walls, heating elements bearing against such Walls,- a connector overlapping adjacent ends of the elements, and means for binding the-connector to the elements and the elements against the walls of the base.

8. In an electric sad iron, in combination, a chambered base, a heating element within the base, binding posts mountedon the base and connected with the heatin element, a handle carrying cap covering t e base, and a plug socketcarried by the cap.

DAVYDD C. HUGHES npies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

